Author Topic: question on building solid bottom boards (Read 12304 times)

Yankee11 · « **on:** January 05, 2015, 02:05:42 pm »

I am switching to all solid bottom boards.

What do you guys use for the platform. I can't seem to find tongue and groove that is not beveled. So my options are 3/4 plywood or just butting 1bys together to make platform. i can grove the back and side boards with dado so only front edge would be exposed.

Just getting different ideas.

Perry · « **Reply #1 on:** January 05, 2015, 02:36:44 pm »

I buy my 1 x 6 - t & g at the local mill and it's not beveled. If I couldn't find it I don't think I'd let the bevel bother me too much. If you have easy access to it and the price is right, use it.
The bees certainly won't care, in fact, they seem to do a pretty good job of propolizing any cracks, splits, gaps etc. as is.

Yankee11 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 05, 2015, 03:19:48 pm »

So perry, if it was between 3/4 plywood or 1/6 butted without t&g. Which would you use?

Perry · « **Reply #3 on:** January 05, 2015, 03:22:21 pm »

NOT plywood! I've been there and tried that and no matter how careful I was at sealing the edges of the plywood the darn stuff always delammed and curled sending water into the hives. As long as your 1x6 is dry I would go that way.

Yankee11 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 05, 2015, 05:29:06 pm »

I could use 1x12 and only have one seam in the center.

If I felt strongly about it, I could probably put a 1/4 t&g using my table saw with a 1/4 dado blade. Wouldn't have to be perfect.

Perry · « **Reply #5 on:** January 05, 2015, 05:33:37 pm »

IMHO, bottom boards are the one piece of a hive that you don't really need to use piano-building skills on. They get beat up over time no matter how careful you are, cleaning, scraping, moving, etc.

Yankee11 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 05, 2015, 06:43:57 pm »

yea, your right.

I'll guess I'll save those skills on trying out frames.

I'm going with 3 side rails and a 2x12 with a single seem. Think I will put the dado grove in middle of rail with 3/4 on top and bottom in case I need to flip over and use the other side for some reason.

Thanks buddy. My goal now that I am making everything myself is to make everything exactly the same. so I can swap things in and out. I also want to make a binder with all me measurments for everything I make. Bottoms, tops, inner covers etc. then I can just open my binder to that page and start cutting.

I have a offer from a bee supply store that wants to buy boxes from me.

blueblood · « **Reply #7 on:** January 05, 2015, 07:52:54 pm »

Quote from: Perry on January 05, 2015, 03:22:21 pm

NOT plywood! I've been there and tried that and no matter how careful I was at sealing the edges of the plywood the darn stuff always delammed and curled sending water into the hives. As long as your 1x6 is dry I would go that way.

He's right. And, I built them anyway. One year, they have started to turn bad.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #8 on:** January 05, 2015, 08:09:04 pm »

Quote from: Perry on January 05, 2015, 05:33:37 pm

IMHO, bottom boards are the one piece of a hive hat you don't really need to use piano-building skills on. They get beat up over time no matter how careful you are, cleaning, scraping, moving, etc.

Working on 4 years on some plywood bottoms. 2 coats of exterior grade paint.

Perry is right about them getting beat up over time, but that applies to any bottom board. Plywood or tongue and groove, or boards glued etc..
I get ten bottom boards out of one sheet of plywood. It costs me $2.50 to make a bottom board AND paint it, labor not withstanding...
I stopped trying to be fancy and pretty, and went with functional and replaceable. If I can get 3 or 4 years out of a $2.50 bottom board it earned its place. I have commercial bottom boards with rabbited sides, tongue and groove bottoms going into their third year that are going to need replaced this coming year... So, a lot depends on what you want, and how you take care of your woodenware. I often see something that needs replaced during an inspection, but dont have a spare with me... one thing leads to another, and the damage reaches the point I HAVE to do something.. Typically.... plywood neglected WILL go to heck faster than 3/4 inch boards neglected.
Making new out of boards doesnt cost much more than the plywood.
The difference then?
It is in the making... It takes me a few minutes to slap the plywood bottom board together, and several minutes to put one together with boards.. the LazyBkpr at work!

Yankee11 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 05, 2015, 08:56:19 pm »

I built some with plywood this past summer so I'll see how they do in my area.

I am going to be selling some also. I don't really want to sell anything made from plywood.

Perry · « **Reply #10 on:** January 05, 2015, 09:47:48 pm »

Hey Scott, maybe it's just my tired old eyes playing tricks on me, but I declare you must have some incredibly spoiled bees. It looks to me like those bottom boards are beautifully sanded down, and I thought to myself "Naw, couldn't be, who would be that fussy with their bees?"

Yankee11 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 05, 2015, 09:51:01 pm »

Ha, I thought the same thing Perry,

Lazy is holding out on us, calling himself Lazy and sanding his stuff...

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #12 on:** January 06, 2015, 11:08:31 am »

Have any of you put 3/4in. plywood in a mitered frame for a bottom board, and glue and screw a board on the front that would be exposed to the weather? I have some 4ft.x4ft. sheets of 3/4in. plywood that is laminated on one side and was wondering if to put the laminated side up or down if i use it for bottom boards? Jack

crazy8days · « **Reply #13 on:** January 06, 2015, 08:47:08 pm »

I was able to get a couple hundred 1"X2" 3ft long pine boards from work for free. Will use those for my BB sides. I too have only found t&g boards that are beveled. So, will use plain 1by pine and make lap joints. Easy peazy lemon squeezy!

Marbees · « **Reply #14 on:** January 06, 2015, 10:27:58 pm »

Quote from: brooksbeefarm on January 06, 2015, 11:08:31 am

Have any of you put 3/4in. plywood in a mitered frame for a bottom board, and glue and screw a board on the front that would be exposed to the weather? I have some 4ft.x4ft. sheets of 3/4in. plywood that is laminated on one side and was wondering if to put the laminated side up or down if i use it for bottom boards? Jack

Yes Jack, that's how I built 30 migratory bb, glued and screwed 2.5" pine strip on the exposed end, and screwed two cedar 2x2 underneath.

rcannon · « **Reply #15 on:** January 07, 2015, 08:34:47 pm »

I use HDO plywood to build mine. They last for years. I don't even paint them. They can also do double duty as migratory covers.
I can get 10 full bottoms, 2 nuc bottoms and enough left over to cut the 3/4 x3/4 strips out of.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #16 on:** January 07, 2015, 10:12:47 pm »

hehe, yep, they are sanded. Power sander, takes a couple minutes a board, but lets the paint become ONE with the wood!

Zweefer · « **Reply #17 on:** March 23, 2015, 09:37:30 pm »

I know this is an old thread by now, but I use the same 1x boards i use for my boxes. Take 1x6 cut into 3 pieces 15 1/4. 1 1x8 the same. I rabbit the edges of 2 1x6, and only one edge of the remaining two boards 3/8 deep and leaving 3/8 for the bottom edge (1/2 the thickness of the board)

it would look like this :

this enables me to use left over pieces from the boxes I'm building...

CpnObvious · « **Reply #18 on:** March 24, 2015, 07:34:37 am »

Quote from: Perry on January 05, 2015, 09:47:48 pm

Hey Scott, maybe it's just my tired old eyes playing tricks on me, but I declare you must have some incredibly spoiled bees. It looks to me like those bottom boards are beautifully sanded down, and I thought to myself "Naw, couldn't be, who would be that fussy with their bees?"

I was thinking the same thing! Lazy... but sanded bottom boards?

I wouldn't waste the time making, or $$ buying, t&g... BUT, if that's really what you're looking for... Usually, at least in my area, ship-lap pine is beveled and sometimes beaded on one side, square-cut w/ no bead on the other.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #19 on:** April 02, 2015, 02:24:10 am »

takes about two minutes to sand them, and I feel that the paint sticks better to the sanded edge, so they last longer. Time will prove me right or wrong!